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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be considering cancelling daughters jabs?

189 replies

Beautifulblue · 07/08/2018 00:16

My 13 month old is due her jabs tomorrow & im absolutely dreading it. I was already dreading it, because of the needles souly, I don't want her poor little legs & arms jabbed Sad last time was really quite traumatic. But today I bumped into a some what crazy aunt of mine who went on & on about how damaging immunisations are & how my baby could be left disabled. I don't believe it, in all honestly. I know how many children have them & are absolutely fine. But I didn't even tell this aunt she was having them tomorrow & now I'm stupidly feeling like I was meant to bump into her. Hmm oh goddddd, I'm so nervous!! Help!

OP posts:
EstuaryBird · 07/08/2018 10:55

I was born in 1955 (!). I had all vaccinations except Whooping Cough, I have no idea why I wasn't given it.

At age 12 I caught Whooping Cough. I missed 10 weeks of school, 3 of those weeks in hospital with a 50/50 chance of survival. I was 'quarantined' at home so didn't see anybody except my parents and doctors and nurses.

When I finally recovered I weighed just over 5 stone and the doctor told my mother to 'feed me up' which she did relentlessly leaving me with a lifetime of weight issues and a dysfunctional relationship with food.

You can't imagine how much I wish I'd had that vaccine. I still suffer badly with my chest and coughs every time I catch a cold.

Minniemountain · 07/08/2018 11:13

I know it's not nice seeing them cry. Think of it as the first of many times over your DD's life that you'll have to be strong for her.

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 07/08/2018 11:30

She's had them. I took her this morning, it wasn't very nice & she cried but it wasn't as bad as I expected, it was over quickly. Hopefully she won't suffer to much today. I'm not even going to reply to the comments calling me selfish & self indulgent of my own feelings blah blah blah. I knew I was going to get her vaccinated & even though I truly believe the negatives far out weigh the negatives I was genuinely concerned yesterday & yes bumping into crazy aunt definitely didn't help. Thank you everyone for the supportive comments!

OP posts:
LoveInTokyo · 07/08/2018 11:45

Well done OP.

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 07/08/2018 11:53

Positives far out weight the negatives**

OP posts:
MissConductUS · 07/08/2018 11:59

Well done blue.

Pinkyponkcustard · 07/08/2018 11:59

Well done op, time for a nice cup of tea and a cuddle with your baby

whatshouldIdo999 · 07/08/2018 12:01

I'm not even going to reply to the comments calling me selfish & self indulgent of my own feelings blah blah blah. I knew I was going to get her vaccinated

I'm glad you got her vaccinated, to be fair though you posted on AIBU and the title itself asks if you should cancel the vaccinations. People aren't mind readers if you post you may cancel then thats what reaction you will get. Confused

HelpmeobiMN · 07/08/2018 12:05

Well done! It's hard not to focus on the immediate misery of the injections when the misery they prevent is a vague and distant threat, but you've done the right thing and protected your baby.

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 07/08/2018 12:05

@whatshouldIdo999, literally on the first page I said I would be getting her vaccinated but was considering postponing all because of bumping into the crazy aunt! I've had far worse on here tbh, I'm over it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Beautifulblue · 07/08/2018 12:08

@helpme
Well done! It's hard not to focus on the immediate misery of the injections when the misery they prevent is a vague and distant threat, but you've done the right thing and protected your baby.

This! Is so spot on. thanks @helpme for summing it up perfectly.

OP posts:
81Byerley · 07/08/2018 12:20

I have a lot of sympathy for you, more, actually, than if you were anti-immunisation. I fostered and childminded, as well as having four children of my own, so I've held a lot of babies for their injections, and it isn't nice to feel that you're "betraying" those trusting little people. But as you know, it's over very quickly, and it's helpful to have something in your pocket to distract the baby as she's calming down afterwards. If the baby's father isn't available, would it be possible for a friend to come with you to hold the baby? That's how I came to be holding babies I childminded.

cakecakecheese · 07/08/2018 12:25

I'm glad you had them done. As I pointed out in my last point the criticism you received was mostly down to the way you worded the title of the thread I think but again like I said before it's natural to be anxious about your child being in pain and yeah your aunt's 'advice' really didn't help.

Scientistic · 07/08/2018 12:29

There are a lot of jabs at the 13 month one. I asked if I could split them up so they weren't all at the same time. All bar mmr were done at once, mmr followed. Each to their own but that worked for me.

Jeanclaudejackety · 07/08/2018 12:33

It's just part of life. She's not even going to remember it. She'll need dental work, blood tests, lots of things throughout her life, which will be long and healthy due to the luck of living in this country at this time in history.

She might even be a daredevil and need her head glueing when she's 4 like my dd, or break her arm in a gymnastics competition or any other childhood scrape, which will be dealt with swiftly and efficiently and you will cope with fine.

81Byerley · 07/08/2018 12:36

Well done! I'm glad you managed and the baby is ok. They should give mums an "I've been very brave" sticker!
Just reminded of when I took my youngest soon, aged nearly 4, for his preschool booster. The nurse explained to him that she would reward him after his injection with a sugar cube (actually polio vaccine on sugar). He waited until we were outside before saying "Mummy, that lady was very silly. She put that stuff on my sugar and it made it taste all nasty!"

Jeanclaudejackety · 07/08/2018 12:38

My friend went for her jabs at 13 months and flailed around so much she twatted her head off of the wooden arm chair and had to have an ice pack and be checked over by the gp. Her mum still takes the mick out of her for it. The nurse jabbed the injections in whilst she was screaming because her mum was saying "do it now! She's distracted!" 😂

KoolAidPickle · 07/08/2018 13:00

Do we have to call them "jabs"? Are we all 6 years old?

DiegoMadonna · 07/08/2018 13:11

I don't think "jabs" is a child-specific word, KoolAid. Many adults use it.

Jeanclaudejackety · 07/08/2018 15:32

I thought jabs was Scottish lol

Everyoneiswingingit · 07/08/2018 15:58

Jabs isn't childish, I wouldn't use it to speak to a child as it sounds like a punch.

MissConductUS · 07/08/2018 16:04

I had to ask Mr Google about jabs when I got here. In the US we say "shot", as in "did you get your flu shot yet?".

sashh · 07/08/2018 16:15

Not to be facetious but do we absolutely know this is the primary reason? I'd have thought better healthcare, advances in medicine, more hygenic living, universal healthcare and better birth experiences for women would be the main reason for fewer infant mortalities?

One of those advances in medicine is vaccination.

We are in the 21st century, with all of that, but children still die of measles. In hospitals, in the west.

We currently have antibiotics, we don't have much in the way of antivirals.

Lizzie48 · 07/08/2018 16:16

As a child of the 70s there were no vaccinations back in my day

I'm a child of the 70s and I had vaccinations. There were still smallpox vaccinations and I also had vaccinations against tetanus and polio (drops, I think). I had the rubella vaccination at 12, all girls had it if they hadn't already had rubella (it was called German measles back then).

Admittedly, there are more vaccinations available now, and we should protect our children as well as vulnerable groups like pregnant women.

I didn't find vaccinations an ordeal, but then I've never had a problem with needles myself.

Lizzie48 · 07/08/2018 16:19

Just seen you've had it done, OP, well done. Smile

I found the second MMR vaccination more of an ordeal with both my DDs, because they protested more.